


All We Are Is Burning Stars

by turps



Category: NSYNC, Popslash
Genre: M/M, Mention of Lance - Freeform, Mentions of Justin, mentions of Joey
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-21
Updated: 2017-02-21
Packaged: 2018-09-26 01:57:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9856817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/turps/pseuds/turps
Summary: Chris and JC watch Justin.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the picfor1000 challenge hosted on livejournal.  
> This is a challenge to post a story of exactly 1000 words based on a picture prompt.  
> My prompt was [here](https://www.flickr.com/photos/naomiwoddis/7982608699/in/photostream/)
> 
> As always, huge thanks go to themoononastick for beta reading.

“Do you miss it?” Stretched out on a sun-lounger next to the pool, Chris takes a sip of his drink, the ridiculous glittered palm tree he insisted on adding sliding around in a circle, barely missing spearing his eye. “What he’s doing I mean, not Justin. I don’t miss him.”

“Between the calls, messages and meeting ups, like you’ve ever had a chance to miss Justin.” His own drink freshly topped up, JC sits on the end of the lounger, grinning when Chris grumbles and shifts his feet to the side. “And yeah, sometimes.”

It’s a truthful answer, sometimes JC does miss mega stardom so much that it hurts. The mass adoration, the legions of fans screaming his name, and most of all, the chances to constantly sing and enjoy music. It’s a part of his past that he loves and thinks about often, and, he’ll willingly admit, it felt good to be loved. But at the same time, sometimes it just got too much.

Chris grins, peering over the top of his silvered sunglasses, devilish and amused as he says, “You’re missing all the girls screaming your name?”

“ _Women_ ,” JC corrects, trying for serious even as his mouth curls up at the corner. “It was Justin and Lance that attracted the girls. It was the ladies screaming my name.”

“In your dreams. You know it was my fine ass that attracted the ladies.” Smile widening, Chris turns his attention back to Justin, who, onscreen is still charming the host of some talk show. “Look at him, all grown up and articulate, even when he’s holding a Troll.”

“It’s a cute Troll,” JC says, watching as Justin effortless combines answering questions while making the Troll dance over his knee. “I can’t believe he’s up for an Oscar.”

“Our little Juppy is all grown-up.” Chris mimics wiping a tear, but despite the joking, JC’s well aware of how proud Chris actually is. It’s impossible not to know when JC feels the same. “Even if he is singing with Trolls.”

“About Trolls,” JC says, and then backtracks as he thinks of the movie. “I guess he does sing with Trolls. But it’s a good song.”

“It’s a brilliant song.” Chris takes another long drink and jabs his toes into JC’s thigh, curling them so his nails scrape over skin. “And it’s everywhere. It’s a good thing I love him so much because I hear that song in my sleep.”

JC reaches down and without looking, tugs at the hairs on Chris’ toes. “A happy marriage, a kid and now he’s a star again. If I didn’t like him so much I’d want to be sick”

“He’s a superstar.” Chris draws out the word while pulling up his feet. “And you’re a hair pulling ninja. How can you do that without looking?”

“I’m good with my hands, you know that.” In demonstration, JC wiggles his fingers, enjoying the way Chris laughs in response. “If you didn’t let your Hobbit feet get out of control I wouldn’t be able to catch hair.”

Chris lifts up one leg, resting his heel against JC’s shoulder. “I’m not about to go wax my toes. I’m not Lance.”

“I know Lance waxes, but I don’t think he needs to wax his toes,” JC says, trying to picture Lance’s feet. “They’re not hairy enouugh to need wax. Now Joey….”

“Yeah,” Chris agrees, tweaking the shell of JC’s ear between his toes. “He’s so hairy he could double for Chewie, or fit in with the Hobbits. He’d be tall Hobbit. Bildo Fatone” 

“A tall Hobbit selling hotdogs,” JC says with a laugh, imaging hobbit Joey behind the counter of _Fat Ones_ , his hairy feet slapping against the floor as he talks up the customers and takes orders. “Good hotdogs, and he wasn’t called Bildo.”

“Joey would be a Bildo, and they taste amazing.” Chris smacks his lips, and ruffles JC’s hair with the flat of his foot, which is disgusting and weird and JC would move if he wasn’t both comfortable and immune after years of the same. “We should go there again soon. He’s got some new recipes to try and I told him we’d be his willing guinea pigs”

“You’re making him sound like some kind of Hobbit sex toy, and we will, soon.” JC says, half his attention on the TV set in the wall, as on screen Justin finishes his interview, setting down the Troll as he gets up to sing. 

Immediately the watching audience surge to their feet, screaming Justin’s name, many holding up signs and crying as Justin grins wide and struts to the stage, waving as he takes his marked place.

“You could do that.” Chris lets his leg drop and sits, leaning so he’s pressed up close to JC, both of them watching Justin bask in the spotlight while preparing to sing. “You’re brilliant, your voice is brilliant, your music is brilliant. If you wanted you could get it all back.”

“I’ve already tried, it didn’t go well.” Not that JC has to remind Chris, but still, it has to be said. JC put all of his heart into his album, and while he doesn’t regret that decision, and still loves all of his songs, he’s not ready to be knocked back again.

“You could try again,” Chris says, mood turning serious as he turns his head so he’s looking only at JC. “It wasn’t the right time before.”

“And it’s not the right time now.” JC lets his body relax, leaning against Chris, steady and solid as always, as on screen, Justin beams, obviously revelling in the attention. And yeah, JC does miss the stardom and the fans screaming his name. But the thing is, missing doesn’t mean that he needs it.

Maybe one day he’ll try to make it again, but right now, what he needs is his music, family and friends.

What he needs is Chris, and JC knows that he’s got him. 

That’s one thing that won’t change.


End file.
